BayView Entertainment has acquired international rights to Stolen Kingdom, the debut feature documentary from director Joshua Bailey, written by Bailey and Matthew Serrano (Defunctland).
The film traces a long trail of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World, culminating in the brazen disappearance of an animatronic reportedly valued at nearly half a million dollars. Along the way, Stolen Kingdom shines a light on the lucrative black market for stolen theme-park props, with the story anchored by the notorious 2018 heist of “Buzzy” from Epcot.
Stolen Kingdom premiered at Big Sky and went on to play to sold-out crowds at every festival on its run, including Slamdance, IFF Boston, and the Florida Film Festival. It was also selected as the opening-night film at the Sidewalk Film Festival. More recently, the documentary hit #1 on Apple TV in the US for newly released documentaries and has logged more than 150 theatrical screenings across the US and Canada.
With its subject matter, the film speaks directly to Disney fandom—a vast, multi-generational global community estimated at more than 300 million people—while also tapping into true-crime audiences estimated at over 500 million, and the thriving urban exploration scene on YouTube. BayView will begin international sales next week, launching the title to global territories during MIPCOM.
“We’re thrilled to include Stolen Kingdom as a part of our growing slate of international releases,” said BayView’s Craig Sussman and Selena Paskalidis in a joint statement. “Director Joshua Bailey did a fantastic job executing this passion project about mischief and misdeeds at Walt Disney World and we can’t wait to release it into the international market.”
Stolen Kingdom is directed by Joshua Bailey, written by Bailey and Matthew Serrano, and produced by Bailey, Slater Wayne (Jackass Forever, Nöthin’ But A Good Time), Brandon Pickering (Sell Your House), Colin Alexander, and Sam Fraser (Flip My Florida Yard). Executive producers include Jake Williams (Closed for Storm, Abandoned), Joshua Koopman (Earlybird, How to Rob), and Sammie Astaneh (1922, Exile). Antenna Releasing is handling North American distribution.
Images provided by Pender PR
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